How to Become a Neuropsychologist

Neuropsychologists are psychologists who specialize in brain-behavior relationships. That sounds broad, and it is — but in practice, the work centers heavily on assessment. A clinical neuropsychologist administers and interprets comprehensive test batteries that measure memory, attention, executive function, language, visuospatial skills, processing speed, and motor function. The goal is to understand how a person's brain is working and, critically, what has changed.

What makes neuropsychology distinct from other psychology specialties is the depth of neuroscience knowledge required. You need to understand neuroanatomy, neuropathology, and psychopharmacology at a level that lets you connect a pattern of test scores to specific brain regions and disease processes. When a neurologist needs to know whether a patient's memory complaints are early Alzheimer's disease or depression-related cognitive fog, the neuropsychologist is the one who figures that out.

A typical neuropsychological evaluation takes 4 to 8 hours of testing — sometimes spread across two days — plus several additional hours for scoring, interpretation, and report writing. These are not quick screening appointments. The level of detail in a neuropsych report is unlike anything else in mental health, and that thoroughness is what makes the field so valuable to the patients and providers who rely on it.

I need to be upfront about this: neuropsychology has one of the longest training pipelines in all of psychology. We are talking about 12 to 14 years of education and supervised training after high school. That is not a typo. The Houston Conference Guidelines — established in 1997 by a consortium of neuropsychology organizations including APA Division 40, NAN, ABCN, and AACN — laid out the aspirational training model that the field still follows today, and it is rigorous by design.

The Houston Conference model calls for generic psychology training at the doctoral level, followed by specialized education and training in clinical neuropsychology, culminating in a 2-year postdoctoral residency. Each stage builds on the last, and there are no real shortcuts. But if you are genuinely fascinated by the brain and want to become one of the few professionals who can comprehensively evaluate how it functions, the training is worth it.

Neuropsychology has arguably the highest educational bar of any psychology specialty. The Houston Conference Guidelines define the training model, and they are unambiguous: you need a doctoral degree in psychology from an accredited program, coursework in both general clinical psychology and specialized brain-behavior content areas, and a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology under the supervision of a board-certified neuropsychologist.

The choice between a Ph.D. and Psy.D. applies here just as it does in clinical psychology broadly. Ph.D. programs are research-intensive and typically funded — a major advantage given how long the training pipeline is. Psy.D. programs emphasize clinical training and can result in $200,000+ in debt. Given that you still have 2 years of postdoctoral training ahead (at postdoc-level pay, which is often $50,000 to $65,000), the financial calculus is worth thinking about carefully.

No matter which doctoral path you choose, make sure the program is APA-accredited and has a genuine neuropsychology track with active faculty in the field. A program that simply offers a neuropsych course or two is not sufficient preparation for competitive postdoctoral fellowships.

Neuropsychology is one of the higher-paid specialties within psychology. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the "Psychologists, All Other" category — which includes neuropsychologists — reported an annual mean wage of $111,340 in May 2024. The BLS does not break out neuropsychologists as a separate line item, but multiple salary surveys consistently place clinical neuropsychologists above the general psychologist median.

The salary range is wide. Entry-level postdoctoral fellows earn $50,000 to $65,000 during their 2-year training period, which is worth factoring into your financial planning. Once licensed and practicing independently, salaries typically range from $90,000 to over $155,000 depending on setting, geographic location, and whether you are doing primarily clinical work or a mix of clinical, forensic, and research activities. Forensic neuropsychology work — independent medical examinations, expert testimony — tends to pay the highest hourly rates.

Neuropsychologists work in settings that reflect the medical nature of the specialty. Unlike many psychology roles that center on psychotherapy, neuropsychology is heavily assessment-based — you will spend a significant portion of your time administering tests, scoring data, and writing detailed reports. Most neuropsychologists work full-time during regular business hours, though evaluation sessions can be long (4 to 8 hours with a single patient). The work is intellectually demanding and requires sustained concentration, but it is less emotionally draining than therapy-focused roles for most practitioners.